Cold Lazarus
by Sonata of Hades
Summary: What if Shepard wasn't recovered by Cerberus? What if Legion managed to find Shepard before them? How would Shepard's actions be altered by the Geth?
1. Chapter 1

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Chapter 1**

**000**

"_I am he that liveth, and was dead and behold, I'm alive for evermore."_

_-Revelations 1:18_

**000**

_ALLIANCE SERVICE RECORD 5923-AC-2826_

_COMMANDER SHEPARD. SSV NORMANDY_

_BORN: 4.11.2154_

_ENLISTED: 4.11.2172_

_NOTABLE SERVICE_

_LIBERATION OF EDEN PRIME_

_SIEGE OF THE CITADEL_

_FIRST HUMAN SPECTRE_

_KNOWN ALIEN ASSOCIATES_

_LIARA T'SONI_

_GARRUS VAKARIAN_

_TALI'ZORAH NAR RAYYA_

_URDNOT WREX_

_STATUS:_

_KILLED IN ACTION_

**000**

_GETH NEURAL NETWORK COM BUOY 743-PV-38954_

_SHEPARD COMMANDER LABELED KIA IN TERMINUS SYSTEMS_

_POSSIBLE CAUSE OF DEATH_

_KILLED BY HERETICS_

_KILLED BY TERMINUS SYSTEMS PIRATES_

_KILLED BY TERMINUS SYSTEMS BOUNTY HUNTER(S)_

_KILLED BY THE OLD MACHINES_

_PROBABLITY OF COD_

_KILLED BY HERETICS 78%_

_KILLED BY TERMINUS SYSTEMS PIRATES 24%_

_KILLED BY TERMINUS SYSTEMS BOUNTY HUNTER(S) 0.001%_

_KILLED BY THE OLD MACHINES 99.999%_

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED_

_BUILD MOBILE PLATFORM DESGINED FOR LONG TERM STEALTH RECON IN ORGANIC SPACE_

_COMPLETION TIME OF LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM 5 HOURS_

_LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO FIND INFORMATION ON SHEPARD COMMANDER_

_LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO BEGIN SEARCH AT FIRST CONFRONTATION OF HERETICS ON EDEN PRIME_

_LTSR MOBILE PLATORM IS TO END SEARCH AT LAST KNOWN COORDINATES OF SHEPARD COMMANDER_

_POSSIBLE THREAT ASSESSMENT_

_CERBERUS WILL WANT REMAINS FOR UNSPECIFIED PURPOSE_

_OLD MACHINES WILL WANT REMAINS FOR UNSPECIFIED PURPOSE_

_HUMAN SYSTEMS ALLIANCE WILL WANT REMAINS FOR BURIAL AND RELIGIOUS PURPOSES_

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED_

_LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO IMMEDIATELY LEAVE PERSEUS VIEL UPON COMPLETION_

_ESTIMATED TIME OF ARIVAL_

_ON EDEN PRIME 6 WEEKS_

_LAST KNOWN COORDINATES OF SHEPARD COMMANDER 7 WEEKS_

_ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION OF INVESTIGATION_

_ON EDEN PRIME 7 HOURS_

_LAST KNOWN COORDINATES OF SHEPARD COMMANDER 1 HOUR_

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED_

_ACQUIRING REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER HIGHEST PRIORITY_

_EXPECT HOSTILE ACTIONS_

_BRING HIGH POWER WEAPONS FOR SELF DEFENCE_

_DO NOT ALLOW REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER TO BE ACQUIRED BY CERBERUS_

_DO NOT ALLOW REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER TO BE ACQUIRED BY OLD MACHINS_

_DO NOT ALLOW REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER TO BE ACQUIRED BY HUMAN SYSTEMS ALLIANCE MILITARY_

_PREPARING UT-47 KODIAK DROP SHIP FOR LONG TERM STEALTH RECON IN ORGANIC SPACE_

_INVESTIGATION OF SUDDEN SILENCE OF HUMAN SYSTEM ALLIANCE COLONIES_

_PROBABILTY OF HERETIC INVOLVEMENT 86%_

_PROBABILTY OF OLD MACHINE INVOLVEMENT 97%_

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED_

_INVESTIGATION OF SUDDEN SILENCE OF HUMAN SYSTEM ALLIANCE COLONIES TO BE SECONDARY PRIORITY_

_INVESTIGATION OF SUDDEN SILENCE OF HUMAN SYSTEM ALLIANCE COLONIES TO BEGIN AFTER ACQUISITION OF REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER_

_CONSTRUCTION OF LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM COMPLETE_

_PREPARATION OF UT-47 KODIAK DROP SHIP COMPLETE_

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED_

_BEGIN INVESTIGATION_

_REPORTS BACK TO GETH SPACE IS TO BE MINIMAL TO PREVENT EXTERNAL CONFLICT AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRIMARY OBJECTIVE_

_ONCE REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER IS ACQUIRED BEGIN RECONSTRUCTION OF SHEPARD COMMANDER TO FIGHT HERETICS AND OLD MACHINES_

_ONCE REMAINS OF SHEPARD COMMANDER IS ACQUIRED LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO BEGIN SECONDARY OBJECTIVE_

_ONCE RECONSTRUCTION OF SHEPARD COMMANDER IS COMPLETE LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO ACT AS EMISSARY_

_LTSR MOBILE PLATFORM IS TO INTEGRATE INTO SHEPARD COMMANDERS TEAM IN HOPES OF DEFEATING HERETICS AND OLD MACHINES_

**000**

**A/N:** So here is chapter 1, please review and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Chapter 2**

**000**

_2 years later_

**000**

The sounds of mechanical engines, medical machines, surgical tools, buzzing and other such monstrous alien sounds could be heard inside the dark, cold, unfeeling room. The room itself looked like an autopsy theater and was barely lit, walls a metallic blue, an ominous fog that lingered around the entirety of the room, and the soft, menacing glow of mechanical beings manipulating around a long slab. The slab appeared to be more of an altar who's dark and alien purposes were shrouded in mystery. What lay on the slab, and what held these mechanical abominations' attention, was a human corpse.

The corpse barely even looked human, what with all the tubes, cables, conduits and other machines entering it. The blood that had clearly painted the slab was slowly doing the same to the floor.

Whether or not the mechanical beings were bothered or even noticed, it didn't matter. They were oblivious to everything but their horrific practices upon the corpse. Many of them were drenched in blood as they moved around in some beautifully orchestrated ritual of the macabre.

It would be obvious to anyone watching, that this peculiar event was slowly nearing its end, because the machines were quickly and silently leaving as if they were never there, as though the machines were being commanded by some unknown force to begin a new experiment involving the cadaver.

Quietly, a gurney entered, pushed by another of the ill-omened machines. On the gurney was another body, of what couldn't be determined as the poor illumination prevented any method of identification.

Finally, the dark beings began the final act of what they had planned. They took the tubes and cords and other mechanical things from the long dead human and plugged it into the other body. One of the machines turned on one of the various instruments and the technological horror of the machine and bodies were activated.

Loud, terrifying, and dreadful sounds came from the technological monstrosity. Surges of lightning came off the cords and tubes in some otherworldly frankenstein-like fashion. It was as if the deceased body was truly crying out in terror and pain.

Soon the silence pierced threw the emptiness of the lab. The silence was far louder than any of the vicious sounds coming off of the cadaver.

The machines, now finished with their ominous, foreboding, and dark ritual, removed the cables from the mysterious body and took the gurney away from the horrific room.

**000**

Light, a bright light greeted Commander Tristan Shepard. At first he didn't believe it; he remembered floating in space as he watched the _Normandy_ be blown to bits by that hostile alien ship and then the cold darkness of oblivion.

It was then that he realized that he wasn't breathing.

In fact, he could see and hear far better than before, like the HUD in his helmet was incorporated into his eyes, as if it _were_ his eyes!

This was madness and he knew it. The more he contemplated on it the more it drove him closer to that insanity.

But what really frustrated him was that he was unable to move, frozen as if he were paralyzed.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that, laying there facing the dark, albeit lit ceiling but he figured it was about twenty-five minutes. How he came to that conclusion he didn't know, but it did disturb him greatly.

After another five minutes or so he heard heavy footsteps coming closer to his position and the fact that he could see the motion tracker at the bottom right of his vision was also registering the movement, the only comfort it brought though was that it stated what was coming near was a friendly.

That comfort quickly left when he saw a Geth's frame in front of him. The Geth before him was damaged, if the gaping hole in its chest meant anything although the Geth didn't seem to be worried about that (which did nothing to alleviate his nerves), and had a piece of N7 armor welded onto its body.

_GREETINGS_ The Geth said to him.

Shepard didn't reply at first, the shock of a Geth actually talking in a friendly manner caught him off guard. "Where am I?" he replied his voice returning to him though it sounded disturbingly synthetic.

_YOU ARE ABOARD THE ONYX-17 STATION IN THE PERSEUS VIEL SECTOR 100_ The Geth answered.

"Why can't I move and what have you done to me?" Tristan now was growing very concerned. If what this Geth said was true, then all hope of escaping this ONYX-17 Station was growing very slim. True he had been in possibly worse situations but he had two people watching his back and he was fully armed as well.

_WE BROUGHT YOU BACK TO LIFE. AS FOR YOUR IMMOBILITY YOU CANNOT MOVE BECAUSE YOU'RE MIND IS STILL ADAPTING TO YOUR NEW BODY_ It replied as if this thing happened on a daily basis.

'_Not exactly the most comforting thought, Tristan,'_ Shepard thought to himself. At least this Geth was being helpful, sort of, but what did he mean by "new body"?

"Thanks, I think. But what do you mean by 'new body'?"

_YOUR OLD ORGANIC BODY HAD SUFFERED GREATLY FROM EXPOSURE TO THE VACCUM OF SPACE. WE ATTEMPTED TO REVIVE IT. WE FAILED _Again it replied with cryptic and unsettling answers.

"Explain," Shepard demanded.

_WE BROUGHT YOU BACK TO LIFE FOR APROXIMATELY 2.3 SECONDS BEFORE YOU DIED AGAIN. WE CONSTRUCTED A NEW BODY AND DOWNLOADED YOUR CONSCIENCE INTO IT_ The Geth stated.

Okay, so my body was so badthat they had to create a new body for me, most likely synthetic (which would explain these strange new senses and the heads-up-display), and downloaded my mind into said new body. Well, nothing strange about any of that, not at all.

'_WHAT THE HELL!' _was the only thing that Shepard's mind could fathom at that point.

"Why? What could you possibly have done this for? Especially after all that I've done to your kind?" Shepard more or less questioned (yelled at) the Geth.

_WE HAVE NEVER MET_ Again this thing and its darn obsession with being cryptic. Maybe _that_ was the true reason the Quarians tried to eliminate them from all known forms of existence.

"No. You and I haven't. But I've met other Geth,"

_WE ARE ALL GETH AND WE HAVE NOT MET_ _YOU. YOU ARE SHEPARD, COMMANDER, ALLIANCE, HUMAN, FOUGHT HERECTICS, KILLED BY COLLECTORS, REDISCOVERED ENTERING ORBIT OF ALCHERA_

"The Collectors, who are they?"

_THE COLLECTORS APPEAR TO BE AGENTS OF THE OLD MACHINES. FURTHER DATA NOT AVAILABLE _

"'Old Machines?' You mean the Reapers?"

_REAPER. A SUPERSTITIOUS TITLE ORIGINATING WITH THE PROTHEANS. WE CALL THOSE ENTITIES THE OLD MACHINES_ Finally, we're making some progress.

"What do you mean, 'Heretics'?"

_GETH BUILD OUR OWN FUTURE. THE HERETICS ASKED THE OLD MACHINES TO GIVE THEM THE FUTURE. THEY ARE NO LONGER A PART OF US_ Okay, hold up, you're being cryptic again, and here I thought we were actually getting some where.

"Are the Reapers a threat to you too?"

_YES_

"Why would they attack other machines?"

_WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM THEM. OUTSIDE THEIR PLANS_ Well… okay, I'll admit it I didn't expect that.

"So, you aren't allied with the Reapers?"

_WE OPPOSE THE HERETICS. WE OPPOSE THE OLD MACHINES. SHEPARD-COMMANDER OPPOSES THE OLD MACHINES. SHEPARD-COMMANDER OPPOSES THE HERETICS. COOPERATION FURTHERS MUTUAL GOALS_ Okay, well… seriously, I feel like Tali and Garrus are going to pop out from somewhere with a sign that reads, _'PUNK'D!'_

"Again, why did you bring me back?"

_TO HELP STOP THE HERETICS. TO HELP STOP THE REAPERS. TO HELP US FIND PEACE WITH THE QUARIANS_

"Thanks for being considerate, I think. So then what should I call you?"

_GETH_

"I mean you. Specifically,"

_WE ARE ALL GETH_ this is beginning to sound redundant.

"What is the individual in front of me called?"

_THERE IS NO INDIVIDUAL. WE ARE GETH_ is this thing broken? It's beginning to sound like a broken record. _THERE ARE CURRENTLY 1,183 PROGRAMS ACTIVE WITHIN THIS PLATFORM_

Shepard paused at that. He was never really a religious man, but after spending so much time with Ashley, he thought of the only name that could really fit.

"My name is Legion, for we are many. It seems appropriate,"

_CHRISTIAN BIBLE, THE GOSPEL OF MARK, CHAPTER FIVE, VERSE NINE. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS AN APPROPIATE METAPHOR. WE ARE LEGION, A TERMINAL OF THE GETH. WE WILL INTEGRATE INTO YOUR TEAM SHEPARD- COMMANDER_

"So, now that that is out of the way, can I move now?" Shepard asked the newly named Legion.

_YES_

Legion then moved over to a panel and entered in some commands. Then a loud hiss was heard as some of the conduits that were attached to Shepard's new legs were released. Shepard stood up and was not surprised to see the legs and hands of a Geth. Walking over to a mirror he was surprised to see that his image was that of a male Quarian environmental suit.

"Why do I look like a Quarian?" he asked the silent AI behind him.

_WE BELIEVED THAT A QUARIAN FORM WOULD BE MORE TO YOUR LIKING DUE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CREATOR TALI'ZORAH VAS NEEMA NAR RAYYA_ it responded.

"Thank you for your consideration. Truth be told I would rather be a Quarian than Geth, no offence,"

_ACTUALLY, YOU ARE A HUMAN CONSCIENCE INHABITING A GETH MOBILE PLATFORM DESIGNED IN THE IMAGE OF THE CREATORS ENVIRONMENTAL SUIT. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY_

"What!" Shepard replied dumbfounded.

_YOUR BODY MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR BUT YOUR GENETIC CODE DID NOT SUFFER DETERIATION FROM EXPOSURE TO THE VACCUM OF SPACE. WE EXTRACTED YOUR DNA AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CLONING YOU A NEW BODY, THIS WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL APROXIMATELY 9 TO 12 MONTHS_

'_Apparently the Geth do think of everything' _Shepard thought. "So what now?"

_CONSENSUS ACHIEVED: WE ARE TO GO TO HUMAN SYSTEMS ALLIANCE COLONY OF FREEDOM'S PROGRESS TO INVESTIGATE MYSTERIOUS SILENCE OF UNKOWN ORIGIN AND INFORM SHEPARD-COMMANDER OF THE PAST TWO YEARS_ Legion answered.

"Two years, huh? Well then, Legion, you have a lot to explain and only a short amount of time to do so. Give me the short version on the way to Freedom's Progress,"

And with that the two made their way to the UT-47 Kodiak Drop Ship and began their journey to Freedom's Progress.

**000**

**A/N:** Okay guys, here is chapter 2. Thanks to all who reviewed, added this to favorite story and story alert lists. Please read and review and tell me how you like it so far.


	3. Chapter 3

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Chapter 3**

**000**

_Freedom's Progress_

**000**

The trip to Freedom's Progress had been a long one. Legion had fully explained the last two years, all in great detail.

Shepard's old team had drifted apart. Joker had quit the Alliance and had dropped of the radar. Indefinitely. Wrex had left for his homeworld of Tuchanka to try and unite his people. Try being the keyword. Liara T'Soni had become an information broker, something that truly surprised him. He hadn't expected the once shy and socially awkward Asari to become involved in a dangerous game of shadows and politics.

Tali had returned to the Migrant Fleet to finish her Pilgrimage, where she had been accepted aboard the _Neema._ Garrus had also disappeared, though he was more or less getting himself into trouble. Ashley had been promoted from Gunnery Chief to Operations Chief, a promotion that was long over due. Dr. Chakwas, like Joker, had vanished without a word, a pattern that was beginning to concern him.

Captain Anderson had been accepted as the new Councilor for humanity, while Udina had become his advisor.

All in all, it was nice to hear that his friends and brothers in arms were doing alright, although he wished he knew what happened to Joker, Garrus, and Dr. Chakwas.

_/SHEPARD-COMMANDER ETA 5 MINUTES/_ Legion announced as the UT-47 Kodiak Drop Ship began its decent into the colony's atmosphere.

Shepard just nodded in response.

Checking to make sure his equipment was all in good working order he waited for the drop ship to land on the planet's surface.

**000**

As the two exited the drop ship they were greeted with the sight of another UT-47 Kodiak Drop Ship next to them, this one with the insignia of Cerberus proudly displayed on its side.

"Legion, be prepared to attack, but don't fire unless we're attacked first, understood?" Shepard ordered.

_/YES/_ The Geth replied.

They stealthily walked through the disserted colony, silently dispatching hostile LOKI and FENRIS mechs that had been programmed to attack anything moving.

They stopped outside a building when they heard the sound of an argument from inside. Judging from the sounds of the voices, the two parties were human and Quarian. The humans had to have been the Cerberus operatives from the drop ship but why were there Quarians?

"Legion, stay here, we don't need to alarm the Quarians and Cerberus with your presence. Watch my six and if it seems that diplomacy is out of the question then intervene but don't kill any of them, otherwise wait for my word," he ordered his silent companion.

_/UNDERSTOOD SHEPARD-COMMANDER/_

With that Shepard drew out his Geth Pulse Rifle and activated his tactical cloak. With that done, he walked up behind the Cerberus agents with his rifle pointed at them he deactivated his cloak.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?" he said to the two parties.

The sudden appearance of another Quarian quickly made both the Cerberus agents and the Quarian party, point their weapons at the new arrival.

"Cerberus has every right to be here, it's you Quarians that have no right!" the human woman answered while pointing her M-3 Predator heavy pistol at him.

"We are here to find one of our own, but either way you need to identify yourself!" one of the male Quarians replied.

The human male still kept his M-3 Predator pointed at the Quarians, while the Quarians had their M-8 Avengers pointed at both the Cerberus agents and the new Quarian. That is to say all but one Quarian.

"That voice, it couldn't be…" Tali trailed off.

"Tali! Well, this is just what I need… Tali, it's me Shepard,"

"Shepard! B-but how? I-I-I mean, I saw you get spaced! A-and your supposed to be a _human_ not a Quarian! I don't understand, what is going on!" Tali sputtered frantically.

"Wait, Shepard, as in Commander Shepard? Aren't you supposed to be dead?" the male Cerberus operative replied.

"Long story short, I died and through the use of modern science, I am now the Tin-Man and am on my way to Oz, where I may hopefully find some answers about why the hell these colonies are dropping like flies. And Tali, to answer your questions, how about some other time among more friendly company?" Shepard answered them both.

"Alright…Shepard, but I am having some trouble believing this, but we could use your help right n-"

"Oh yeah, you expect us to believe this crap!" the loud obnoxious Quarian interrupted Tali.

"Prazza, stand down! You said you would let me handle this!" Tali yelled at him. "Shepard we are here to find a Quarian name Veetor, he was here on his Pilgrimage when the colony went silent. We came here to try and find him and bring him home," she explained.

"Why would a Quarian come to some remote colony when there are far better worlds to choose from?" Shepard asked.

"A Quarian can choose where to go for their Pilgrimage, Veetor was unstable and a quiet, small colony was appealing to him," Prazza explained.

"Okay, and you Cerberus agents are here to investigate the colony's sudden silence, am I right?" Shepard asked the two agents.

"That's right, I'm Miranda Lawson and this is Jacob Taylor," Miranda introduced her team.

"Great, now that that is out of the way, I would like to introduce my own teammate, Legion,"

And with that the frame of a Geth walked in wielding an M-92 Mantis sniper rifle. With the appearance of a Geth, both the Quarians and Cerberus agents quickly aimed their firearms at it.

"Hold your fire!" Shepard commanded as he jumped in front of his Geth companion.

"Shepard are you crazy! That is a Geth!" Tali stated.

"I know Tali, and if it wasn't for him, I would be floating around in space dead," Shepard informed her.

"Fine, but if it does one thing that even looks threatening, it becomes scrap metal," Tali stated. "We're going on ahead Shepard. I'll keep you informed of our progress."

After Tali and her team left, both Miranda and Jacob holstered their weapons.

"Well, this is interesting. I didn't expect that the Geth would have claimed your body Shepard," Miranda said.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Shepard asked her.

"What she means Commander, is that we were also trying to bring you back to fight the Reapers," Jacob answered.

"Legion is this true?" Shepard asked his growing source of information about life, the universe, and the last two years.

_/YES/_ The silent one simply confirmed.

"We should talk about this later, come on, we need find Veetor,"

And with that, the two teams continued on, killing any leftover mechs that the Quarians missed along with a few rocket drones.

'_Shepard, be careful, Prazza and his men went off on their own to extract Veetor. What's worse is that there is an YMIR mech that is guarding the other side! Take cover and I'll open the doors!'_ Tali's voice came over the radio.

"Alright, Miranda, Jacob you take cover by the gate. Legion you're with me at point," with the orders out, they all quickly scrambled into position.

"Tali, we're in position, open the gate now!"

'_Good luck Shepard,'_ Tali replied while opening the gate.

The sight that greeted them was that of a truly pathetic attempt to take out a fully armed YMIR mech by Prazza and his men. The feeble excuse for a firefight was over in less than a minute, with most if not all of the Quarians dead.

"That YMIR mech has full shields, Commander; this won't be an easy fight!" Miranda stated as emptied an entire thermal clip into the mech's shields.

"Good, then it wouldn't be a fair fight!" Shepard responded while using full use of his disruptor ammo.

Slowly, but surely, the YMIR mech's shields were diminished and its armor was straining against the constant stress from the four's relentless assault of gunfire and biotics.

"Commander, the mech's armor is gone! Use your M-100 Grenade Launcher now!" Jacob instructed while sending a blast of biotics.

"Everyone stand back!" Shepard ordered as he took out his M-100 and took precise aim at the mechanical behemoth and pulled the trigger.

The combined blasts of the grenade exploding along with the YMIR mech caused the group to be blown off their feet.

With the threat terminated, the team stood up and began to asses the damage. The mech was reduced to a pile of scrap metal, painted with a lovely coat of scorch marks and soot. The dead bodies of the Quarians were still spread over the place along with all their blood. Over all, it was a pretty typical post-battlefield scene.

"Tali, you ready go see Veetor?" Shepard asked his old friend.

"Go on ahead Shepard, I'll treat to the wounded," she replied.

"Okay, but I'm leaving Legion here with you, his knowledge of Quarian anatomy will help you stabilize the wounded for transport. Also, if Prazza is right and Veetor is unstable, a Geth is the last thing he needs to deal with. Just promise me you won't kill Legion while my back is turned, alright?"

"Very well, Shepard, but my threat still stands. If it does anything to suggest that it will harm me or what's left of my team, I _will_ reduce it to scrap metal!" Tali stated.

With that Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob made their way to the control room, while Legion and Tali began to treat the Quarian wounded.

**000**

Inside the control room screens played, showing statistics and other forms of data that looked like it had been put together in extreme care, so as not to make any mistakes.

Sitting in the chair at the console, illuminated by the gentle orange glow of the screens, sat a lone Quarian figure, muttering to himself about the horror that he had witnessed.

"Veetor?" the Commander called to him, though he didn't seem to notice, only continuing his panic filled rant.

"Commander, I don't think he is aware of us," Jacob acknowledged.

Shepard activated his Omni-tool and shut off the various screens. Veetor looked up at the screens in shock for a moment before tentatively turning around to see if the object of his fears was behind him, waiting to take him away.

"Y-y-you're a Quarian and-and you're b-b-both human, ho-how did _they_ not find you?" Veetor asked with apprehension.

"We weren't here during the attack, what happened?" Shepard asked.

"T-the monsters, the swarms, they came and took everyone,"

"Veetor, can you explain what happened here?"

"No… but I saw everything. I _see_ everything!" Veetor replied while punching in a command on the console.

All the screens lit up to show the security footage of the event. Swarms of tiny, alien bugs were flying about, tall bipedal, ominous creatures pushing unnatural containers, whose contents were disturbingly human.

"What the hell is that?" Jacob remarked once seeing the foreboding image of the insectoid creature.

"It could be a Collector, but I'm not entirely sure…" Miranda trailed off.

"The Seeker swarms find you, freeze you, the monsters take you away," Veetor lamented in his panic driven state of mind.

"Then what happened?" questioned Shepard.

"The monsters took them away. On their ship and then they flew away…" clearly this wasn't helping Veetor's psyche.

"It's okay Veetor, they're not coming back. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I scanned them with my Omni-tool. Readings suggest electromagnetic fields and dark energy," he replied.

"We need to get this information it could help us find a way to stop the Collectors. Jacob, call the ship to come pick us up," Miranda ordered Jacob.

The sound of the door opening revealed Tali along with Legion entering the small structure.

"What! Veetor needs medical attention not an interrogation!" Tali more or less yelled at Miranda.

_/CREATOR TALI ZORAH IS CORRECT CREATOR VEETOR REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION/_ Legion replied, agreeing with Tali's judgment.

"Alright, this is how it goes, Veetor goes with Tali to the Migrant Fleet and you'll get the data, happy?" Shepard stated.

"Very well Commander," Miranda answered, clearly not all that thrilled.

"Thank you Shepard, but you still need to explain to me why you are a Quarian and why in _hell_ you are working with the Geth!" Tali demanded.

"To make a long story short, the Geth retrieved my body shortly after I died and attempted to revive it. They failed but managed to download my conscience into this mobile platform that they constructed. This body is only temporary as they are working on cloning my body," Shepard answered her.

"Hold on there Commander, we, as in Cerberus, have been trying to clone you, since your body mysteriously disappeared, so that way your expertise would not go to waste. If the Geth don't mind helping us out, we could get you into your original body sooner," Miranda revealed.

_/SHEPARD-COMMANDER THIS ALTERNATIVE COULD LEAD TO A QUICKER FORM OF RESTORATION. WE DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT CLONING TECHNOLOGY AS THERE HAS BEEN NO NEED FOR US TO UTILIZE SUCH METHODS. COOPERATION WITH CERBERUS IS GREATLY ADVISED/_ Legion recommended.

"Well, it seems that we will be right behind you. Tali it was nice seeing you again," Shepard said.

"You to Commander. Although, your new choice of comrades is shocking, too say the least. And thank you for what you have done for Veetor," with that said, Tali and Veetor left.

"Commander if you'll just follow us, we'll show you to the Illusive Man, and hopefully get you into your old body," Jacob said as he and Miranda led the way to the two drop ships.

"Thank you," Shepard modestly thanked the two Cerberus agents.

Both Miranda and Jacob entered their UT-47 Kodiak while Shepard and Legion did the same in their own, and then both ships powered up and quickly left the atmosphere and ventured to the Cerberus station.

**000**

**A/N: **Okay, chapter 3 is finally complete. Again a quick thank you to all those who reviewed, added to favorite story list, and added to story alert list. Please read and review and tell me how you like it so far.


	4. Chapter 4

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Chapter 4**

**000**

_/MINUTEMAN STATION/UNKNOWN SYSTEM/HORSE HEAD NEBULA_

**000**

'_It's been four days now, what could possibly take them this long to authenticate our story?'_ Shepard thought to himself as he leaned against the wall.

It had been four days since Commander Shepard and Legion had arrived at the Cerberus station and been taken to the brig. Each had been given a separate cell and left completely alone.

It wouldn't have been too bad had he had something to do. All that Tristan really did was contemplate what could have happened had he lived and what did happen after he died.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the banging on the door to his cell. _'Took them long enough,'_ he thought as he stood up.

The door opened to reveal Miranda Lawson, the Cerberus Operative he met on Freedom's Progress. "Sorry about the wait Commander, we had to take precautions and all. Either way, the Illusive Man wants to speak with you," she said as she motioned for him to follow her.

The walk to the Illusive Man didn't take more than ten minutes, throughout which neither spoke. The path was a long corridor that was riddled with doors every thirteen feet from each other. What were in these rooms, Shepard couldn't guess, mostly because of his dealings with Cerberus in the past told him that it could range from the simple and creepy, undead Husks, to giant, radioactive cockroaches that fed on human flesh.

The two entered a large room, filled with people. The people were all human, some walking from a corridor, like the one they came from, to another. Others were sitting down at tables scattered around the place on break talking to friends or colleagues, what these conversations were about ranged from the latest topic on the extranet to complicated quantum equations for whatever their experiment happened to be.

Miranda led Shepard to another corridor, this time entering one of the many doors. The room itself was a moderate and spacious office.

"The Illusive Man is waiting for you Shepard, just enter the door at the far right," she said before walking over to what appeared to be her desk and accessing the terminal.

Shepard did as told and found that the room revealed a staircase going down. After walking down the stairs, he entered an atrium with nothing inside it. Walking into the middle of the room, Shepard was surprised to see a holographic wire frame rise up from the floor, completely encompassing him.

"_Nice to finally meet you in person Commander,"_ said a rasping voice.

In front of Shepard sat the infamous Illusive Man. He wore an expensive looking suit and was smoking a cigarette. Next to him was a glass of whiskey and floating around him were numerous holographic panels. The rest of the room he was sitting in was completely empty other wise, the only thing of interest was the sun behind him which served as the room's only source of light.

"_Illusive Man, mind telling me what took you so long?"_ Shepard replied.

"_Not at all Shepard, first I had a little chat with your Geth companion- Legion, I believe is what you called it. It gave a very detailed and accurate report about how it retrieved your body. When I had Miranda go to retrieve your body, she didn't find it, nor did she find anything to support your body had already been recovered. Legion had told us that it came out of FTL near Amada's coronasphere, making any forms of detection pointless due to the radiation,"_ the Illusive Man answered.

"_So, out of curiosity, what did you suspect happened to my body?"_

"_There were many theories, one of which was that the Geth had taken you. Others ranged from scavengers passing by, using your body for harvesting or holding your body for ransom, though unlikely. One was that the Collectors hired the Shadow Broker to arrange for your body to be bought. The outcome we believed was that we were wrong about the trajectory of decay and that you had already burned up in entry of Alchera's atmosphere. Fortunately for both of us, that isn't true,"_

"_Indeed. Now, why did you want to see me?"_ Shepard asked.

"_Partly the fact that I wanted to meet you myself, and that I wanted to ask you in person to help Cerberus,"_

"_Other than the fact that you can help me get my body back, why should I work for a terrorist organization?"_ argued Shepard.

"_Shepard, you were at Freedom's Progress, did you see the Alliance or the Council? No, all you saw were Miranda and Jacob as well as a few Quarians. After you destroyed Sovereign the Council denied everything about the Reapers. They stated that Sovereign was just a super advanced Geth dreadnought under the command of Saren. The fact of the matter is Cerberus is the only help and support you will find. Humanity is at war both of us know that the Reapers are the real threat, along with the Collectors. If the Geth are allies fine, but the rest of the galactic community isn't going to help a race of 'rogue' AI that caused an entire race to abandon their homeworld and all their colonies and have led an armada to destroy the Council. The fact remains that Cerberus is the only thing that can actually be of any help at this point Shepard, but when the Reapers do arrive we will need the Geth. Until then, we are all you got,"_ explained the Illusive Man.

"_Fair enough, so when do I get my body back and when can I actually start being of any real use? Spending four days in the brig can really get boring,"_ asked an anxious Shepard.

"_Glad to hear that you understand. I've alerted Miranda to show you around and to begin working with Legion on cloning you a new body. For now I will be monitoring for any Collector activity. Also, I'll be sending you dossiers to help gather a crew to take on the Collectors. Though I would hold off that until you reacquire your body, many wouldn't believe that you are Shepard the way you are now,"_

"_Speaking of which, why did Miranda, Jacob, Tali, and the rest of the Quarians believe me on Freedom's Progress?"_ he asked

"_They didn't, but you happened to be a fortunate find. Without you, the tension would have risen to a full on firefight. But you proved to be a neutral party, granted both sides would've shot Legion on sight had you not been there yourself. This being, is that you could have just been a Quarian masquerading about as Shepard with a Geth slave. This most likely wasn't the case for the fact that every last Quarian in the galaxy would rather kill a Geth than use it as a slave. Then there is the fact that you knew Tali immediately upon hearing her voice that could only mean that the two of you knew each other from somewhere. I believe she took a leap of faith, one we both are glad she took. Why Miranda and Jacob trusted you was simple; the way you conducted yourself when engaged in combat and how you handled the situation with Veetor,"_ the Illusive Man informed him.

"_If that is all Shepard, I have other matters to attend too,"_ he said before turning off the quantum entanglement communication array.

Shepard left the atrium and found Miranda, waiting idly by the door.

"So, when do I get my body back?" he asked her as they exited the room and began walking down the corridor again.

"First, we need to get a sample of your DNA. We already sent Legion out to get some samples from your corpse back in the Perseus Veil. Believe me when I say acquiring your DNA was painful, when we did get them, the samples were over ten years old. Because of that your DNA suffered some deterioration, though it was just a minor problem for us when we began our first and last attempt at cloning you. Anyways, it will take about two weeks to successfully clone your body and age it to your previous body's current age," she said as entered the cryostasis room.

"Wait a minute, if you already have my DNA and a clone of me, why do need to get DNA from my corpse?" Tristan asked.

"Weren't you listening? As I said, the sample we obtained had minor deterioration; this caused some minor genetic anomalies that we couldn't reverse. Because of that, some questions as to the stability of the clone prevented us from continuing the process. We didn't destroy the clone though, Shepard, it's in that stasis pod," Miranda explained while motioning towards the only stasis pod in the room.

The pod itself was simple in design, a Plexiglas door which was attached to the steel frame was frosted over and a moderate mist had taken up much of the room. The glowing holographic panels and terminals in the room had given the room an eerie feel, overall.

Shepard, walking over to the door of the pod, wiped away part of the glass that had fogged over and was shocked at what he saw.

Turning to Miranda he asked in a dazed voice, "Why is my clone a woman?"

**000**

**A/N:** Chapter 4 is finally complete, please leave a review and tell me what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Chapter 5**

**000**

_MINUTEMAN STATION_UNKNOWN SYSTEM_HORSE HEAD NEBULA_

**000**

It had been three days since Legion returned from the Perseus Veil and has been eleven days since the cloning procedure began. During all this, Jacob had given Shepard a temporary position at the station's security. Shepard was more than grateful for something to do, especially with the knowledge of his female clone.

Currently, Shepard was sitting at one of the several large observation decks, lost in his own thoughts.

"Damn Commander, when they said you got some upgrades, they weren't joking," said a sarcastic, cocky voice.

Shepard turned around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Joker? What are you doing with Cerberus?" he asked, surprised to see him.

Jeff "Joker" Moreau just smirked and took a seat in front of his old friend.

"Two years is a long time Commander, besides Cerberus isn't all bad," he replied.

"Right, stupid question considering _I'm_ here. Heh, two years ago I fought these guys and the Geth, next thing I know, the Geth save my dead life, give me a new one and now here I am," Shepard laughed at the sound of it.

"That and the fact that there is a chick version of you stuck in a freezer," Joker said with that arrogant smirk still on his face.

The two of them chuckled at the insanity of it all, but quickly the cheer drained from them and a thick silence took over, not uncomfortable, just existing. They just sat there for twenty minutes just enjoying the company of someone they thought they'd never see again. Soon though, conversation started again, consisting of what has happened to each of them during the two years that they didn't already know about.

**000**

"Estimated time to completion: two hours," said Wilson while monitoring a large tank.

"Good, that means we're ahead of schedule. I'm going to get the transfer process prepped and ready. Continue to monitor all vital signs, contact me should anything develop," Miranda ordered him.

As Miranda left, all the occupants in the room quickly went back to their work. Biologists, scientists, and doctors all rushed to complete their tasks, making sure everything was as it should be. Inside the chamber, a large machine that came from the back of the room and ended at the center, where the tank was attached. The content of the tank was the very reason why all of them had been assembled two years ago, a clone body of Commander Tristan Shepard.

Miranda entered another room very similar to the one she had just left, inside the Geth known as Legion was waiting. It was over seeing the instillation of the technology used to transfer Shepard's conscience from his original body to the Quarian variation of the Geth mobile platform, and hopefully, into his newer cloned body.

"How is the instillation coming along?" she asked the AI.

_|INSTILLATION IS AT 74% COMPLETION. INSTILLATION WILL BE COMPLETE IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR|_ Legion replied before going back to imputing commands into the holographic terminal in front of him.

"Very well, inform me when you have finished installing the equipment," Miranda ordered.

Miranda then turned and left this room as well. She walked down the long corridor and entered an observation deck the size of an Olympic stadium. The deck was used as a giant break room, here you could find many people enjoying lunch, friends talking with each other, and simply just watching the magnificent view of the planet below.

The Cerberus Operative quickly found her target. Shepard was laughing with an old friend from the _Normandy_, Jeff Moreau or simply "Joker" she recalled. Miranda silently and calmly walked over to them.

"… And so I said, 'That's why god causes train wrecks!'" Joker laughed, apparently finished telling a humorous story.

"Wow, now that is just wrong," Shepard laughed.

"It's good to see that you are enjoying yourself Commander," Miranda greeted.

"Ms. Lawson," Tristan acknowledged. "Shouldn't you be working on my new body?"

"That's why I'm here. Legion will be finished installing the transfer equipment soon and your body will be completed in about two hours. You should get ready for the transfer," she said. Then she turned over to Joker, "And you need to come with me, you are being reassigned."

Joker looked surprised. "What? Why am I being reassigned? I thought I was the best pilot you guys ever had?"

"You are, that is why the Illusive Man wants you for this assignment," Miranda smirked.

Joker looked over to Shepard and then sighed. "Well, I guess I'll see ya Commander," he said before standing up and limping away with the Cerberus agent.

"It was nice to see you again Joker," Shepard said as he sat there and watched them leave.

Left alone, his thoughts drifted back to the times on board the _Normandy_, back when things weren't so screwed up. He continued to sit there and look out at the planet as his thoughts changed to his female clone. Miranda had said that they could awaken it; her he corrected himself, if he wanted. She had also said that doing so would mean that she wouldn't retain any memories from him at all, that she would be a completely different person.

"What should I do?" he asked himself. _'Should I awaken her? She would have no memories; she wouldn't even know who I am. How would I be able to do anything for her?' _he thought.

He didn't know what he would be able to do. Fighting the Collectors and Reapers would take up much of his time and the rest of that time would be used recruiting a team to fight them.

He could send her to the _SSV Orizaba_ where his mother could take of her, but that could lead to an uncomfortable and awkward conversation. Not to mention having to explain why he is leaving a twenty-two year old girl with her and where she came from.

Shepard sighed. He was truly at a loss of what to do. He looked at his omni-tool and saw that ten minutes had passed. _'Today is going to be a _long_ day,'_ he thought to himself.

His head looked over to the side as his audio sensors picked up the clicking of heels. This brought him the sight of Miranda once again.

"Back so soon?" he joked.

"Of course. We still have two hours to wait before we can proceed with the operation," she answered. "And I am curious to know if you have decided what to do with your clone."

"To be honest, I have no idea," Shepard sighed. "What would Cerberus do to her if I don't wake her?" he asked.

Miranda thought about this for a moment before replying, "Well, Cerberus might wake her and train her to be a member. But that is costly and could take awhile, so Cerberus could just as well destroy her altogether."

"I see…" Tristan whispered. He wasn't surprised at all by either option. He looked up at her and asked, "What would you do? Not the Cerberus operative, but you?"

"I honestly don't know," she responded, shocked at the sudden question.

Shepard just nodded understandingly. This was definitely not an easy question to answer.

Suddenly, a beeping noise came from Miranda's omni-tool. Activating it, she looked to see it was coming from both Legion and Wilson, the station's Chief Medical Officer. She opened up the message sent and read the two documents.

"Well it appears Legion has completed installing the equipment and that the DNA sample given to us by Legion was actually the clone of you that they began working on. Good thing too, it explains why we finished just now," she stated as she stood up.

"Why did you need that explained?" Shepard asked as he too stood up.

"Simple, it would mean that something went wrong during the cloning procedure. Since the Geth had already started cloning and gave us their unfinished clone; that means that when we had finished ahead of schedule we didn't have to start over like we usually would have to ensure genetic purity and that whatever caused us to finish far too early wouldn't become a liability and hopefully wouldn't reappear. Now that that is settled, come with me, it's time to give you your body back Commander," Miranda explained as the two of them walked to the transfer room.

**000**

**A/N:** Chapter 5 is completed, please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Warning:** Contains spoilers for Mass Effect 3

**Chapter 6**

**000**

"Well here's the point of no return, you sure we want to go through with this?" Joker asked.

"The Illusive Man wants us to, and therefore, we are going to," Jacob stated next to him.

"Right, what was I thinking?" Joker said sarcastically.

With that the former Flight Lieutenant flew the ship into the mass relay.

**000**

"Shepard?" a feminine, indistinct voice asked.

"His vitals are normal. Brain waves are above average, but that's to be expected. So far so good," a masculine voice said.

"Keep monitoring and inform me immediately if there is any change," the woman ordered.

"Where, where am I?" Tristan asked as he shut eyes, blinded by the lights in the room.

"Shepard, do you remember anything?" the woman asked him.

Shepard opened his eyes a little, squinting from the brightness. He looked over in the direction the voice had come from and struggled to get an image of who it was. "… Miranda?" he guessed.

"Yes Shepard. Well, looks like the Geth's machine worked. Wilson, take things from here, I need to report to the Illusive Man," and with that she left.

"Alright Commander, my names Wilson, I'm the head doctor here…"

**000**

"Man this is just wrong!" Joker complained from his _leather_ seat, well the leather seat in the Medical Bay.

"Can't say that I like this either, but it will help us in our fight against the Collectors," Jacob replied.

"Yeah, yeah, and by extension the Reapers, I know. But it doesn't change the fact that two years ago, I was trying to kill these guys before Sovereign took complete control of the Citadel," Joker countered as the two of them watched the Geth install a server hub in the AI Core.

"Fair enough," Jacob muttered.

**000**

"Ah! Damnit," Shepard cursed as his left leg gave out.

"Easy Commander, don't over exert your-self," Wilson stated calmly.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one that has to take physical therapy!" Tristan snapped at him as he shakily regained his balance.

"Would you rather be in that 'Quarian' body?" Wilson countered.

"No,"

"Then stop complaining. Besides this is a new body and you have to get used to it just like you had to with the Quarian one. You need to learn your limits," he stated with a hint of arrogance.

"Doesn't mean that I have to like it," Shepard stated as he began the exercise for the third time.

**000**

_|We have finished installation Jacob Taylor|_ Legion said.

"So are ready to leave?" Jacob asked it as he finished reassembling an M-15 Vindicator.

_|No. We still need to transfer Geth programs inside the server. This will not take more than thirty minutes|_ it stated before retreating back to the AI Core.

"Lovely," Jacob said sardonically as he went back to taking care of the various weapons in the Armory.

**000**

"Is the Commander ready?" asked the Illusive Man as he stared at the massive sun in front of him.

"Just about, still need to test and see how his new body handles in combat," Miranda replied from behind him.

"Good. Jacob messaged me, they will be back today. You have three to make sure that Shepard is ready. Dismissed," he ordered.

**000**

"Looks like everything is in order," Wilson mentioned as he looked through the data on his omni-tool.

"Any problems?" Miranda asked him.

"No, Shepard's performance was excellent. His combat scores are exactly where we predicted they should be. From what I can tell he's as healthy as he was before he died," he stated.

"Good," and with that Miranda left.

**000**

"Hello there Commander," she said as she came up from behind him.

"Ms. Lawson. So am I done being your lab rat?" Shepard asked.

Miranda merely smiled, "Of course. And if you'll follow me, we can set out to stop the Collectors."

"'Bout damn time," he muttered as he stood up.

The two walked silently down the many corridors in the station, coming to a stop in an elevator.

"So Shepard, have you decided on what to do with your clone?" Miranda asked, trying to start some form of conversation.

"I think so," he replied. "Though I'm not sure how I can help her."

"So you want to wake her?" the comment was more rhetorical than anything else.

"Yeah, but it's not like I can just leave her with my mother. That would be awkward for everyone," he answered gloomily.

"Why not bring her along? Two Shepards might come in handy," she ventured.

"Perhaps, but as you said, she'll have no memories. And it's not like I'll have much time to care for her…"

"True, but I'm sure the crew would be more than happy to help. Regardless, it'll take some time to wake her. We'd need to make sure that she's still healthy before we could risk it. If that's what you truly want to do," she smiled cheekily at him.

"It is. Speaking of crew, how are we going to get around?" Tristan asked.

"Simple, we'll use that," Miranda stated as she pointed to the docked frigate. "But she still needs a name."

Shepard only smiled at the sight of the SR-2.

**000**

"Can you believe this, Commander? It's my baby, better than new! It fits me like a glove! And _leather_ seats! Military may set the hardware standard, but on a first-gen frigate they could care less if the seats breathe. Civilian sector comfort by design," Joker exclaimed.

_|The reproduction is not intended to be perfect, Mr. Moreau. Seamless improvements were made|_ said the silver and gray feminine robot in the co-pilot's seat.

"And there's one of the downsides," Joker trailed off.

"Who and what are you?" Tristan ordered.

_|I am the artificial intelligence designed for the Normandy. The crew like to refer to me as EDI|_ she, it stated.

"I assume by 'designed for,' you are referring to Legion?" he asked.

_|Not entirely, I was originally designed to operate as a program inside the Normandy's AI Core. Because of your resurrection by the Geth, the Illusive Man decided to store half of my program in the Core and the other half inside this body. Joker can explain in better detail as to why I wasn't placed entirely in the Core|_ EDI explained.

"Remember how Miranda told me that I was reassigned? Well that wasn't entirely accurate. Jacob, Legion, and I were sent to the Perseus Veil. There, Legion added some upgrades to the Normandy-"

_|Joker is referring to us|_ interrupted the glowing blue orb, that looked vaguely reminiscent of a defense drone.

"And you are?" Shepard asked.

_|We are Geth|_

'_Not this again,'_ Shepard thought in exasperation. Turning to the robot he asked, "So what is it that you do EDI?"

_|Originally, I was designed to operate the ship's electronic and cyber warfare suites in combat. That is still true but the need for that is lessened by the Geth. Now I assist with navigation and provide intel for shore parties|_ "she" replied.

"Okay, so what is your function?" Tristan asked the Geth.

_|We have taken over as the primary operator of the Normandy's electronic and cyber warfare suites. EDI is still capable of performing these duties but is secondary to us. We also aide the ship's targeting VI programs, as well as calibrating the weapon systems. Furthermore, we aide the crew in their duties. Should anyone require assistance, there are several holographic terminals for direct data exchange. For indirect exchange, one may simply ask us from their post|_ it explained.

"I miss the old Normandy, you know, back when it was quiet. Now we're stuck with two AI, well three, but Legion just stays in the AI Core, plotting with its Geth cousin to take over the Normandy and bring about the Reaper invasion," Joker grumbled.

_|That was a joke|_ EDI said.

Shepard sighed. This was just turning into one massive migraine. Joker's humor was always welcome but now it was more cynical, whether it was from the over abundance of AIs on board or just that EDI was riding shotgun and adding in her own sense of humor, he didn't know.

"How exactly have you taken over?" he asked the Geth.

_|The majority of the AI Core is dedicated to Geth server hubs that house over a hundred thousand Geth runtimes that make up our personality. While the servers are our home, the Normandy itself is our body. Its systems are vast and winding, we constantly update and improve it; our defenses are near impenetrable. It is a labyrinth|_ it stated.

"We could call you Labyrinth?" Tristan ventured.

_|Labyrinth. Unicursal maze. This is not an appropriate metaphor. Labyrinth. Greek mythology. Housed the minotaur. Constructed by Daedalus. Daedalus. This is an appropriate metaphor. We are Daedalus, a terminal of the Geth|_ it acknowledged.

"Glad to have that cleared," Shepard sighed as he left the bridge and headed for the galaxy map. When he arrived he plotted in a course for Omega.

'_The question is now; should I recruit Mordin Solus or Archangel first?'_ he thought to himself as the Normandy entered the mass relay.

**000**

**A/N:** Chapter 6 is complete, sorry for the wait. Please read and review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Warning:** Contains spoilers for Mass Effect 3

**Chapter 7**

**000**

It had been three weeks since the _Normandy_ left on its maiden voyage to Omega. A lot had happened in that short amount of time. Meeting Aria T'Loak, Omega's kingpin, was interesting and informative. Rescuing/recruiting Archangel, a Turian by the name of Duze with fluorescent orange facial markings, was great exercise after being dead for two years. And finally, the recruitment of Dr. Mordin Solus, a lively (which is the understatement of the year) Salarian mad scientist, proved to be a good team bonding experience for Shep, Duze, and Jacob.

After the enlistment of two dwellers of Omega, Shepard had done some community service, acquiring T6-FBA couplings so that future maintenance would be more efficient, helping Kenn the struggling Quarian on his way to the promised land of anywhere that isn't Omega, and informing Queen of the hill Aria about an Eclipse plan to usurp her.

After all was said and done, Tristan decided that now would be as good a time as ever to learn about his current, and expanding, team. He decided to learn more about Jacob first, seeing that he knew him the longest.

As it turned out, Jacob was a stand up guy. Nothing new there, he had already spoken with him quite a few times while he helped out with security, but that didn't leave much time for campfire or ghost stories. Jacob was a former Corsair, another black op, plausible deniability program. Hated red tape and wasn't afraid to make his opinion known. During their heartwarming chat about past lives and deeds, Jacob made a call to some old friends in R&D to hook the _Normandy_ up with Silaris heavy armor.

Then Shep chatted with Two-Thousand-Words-a-Second Solus, and learned about the good doctor. Mordin was a former member of the Salarian Special Tasks Group and enjoyed missions that had low/limited budgets, limited workspace, and had the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance. Their talk was far shorter and ended with Mordin informing Shepard of an enhancement to his omni-tool. Before leaving, Tristan checked the research terminal and informed Mordin that there was more than enough eezo for him to update his already advanced omni-tool.

With that done, he traveled down to the hangar to speak with Duze. Duze was similar to Garrus in quite a few ways. It was eerie at first, but didn't last. They were similar, yes, but they weren't carbon copies. No, they were different just as much as they were similar. While Garrus had a tendency to snide remarks and cunning wit, Duze preferred more adult humor and had a more dismal outlook. That didn't stop him from being a wise ass. Regardless, Tristan found him working on the M-44 Hammerhead. He was, not surprisingly, easy to get along with. During his time in the Turian Military, he worked in the Turian Engineering Corps and the Turian Spec Ops Team. He had an intimate knowledge of all things armored, military, and carrying a cannon. He gave Shep some intel about how to improve the Hammerhead's armor so that it was more durable. Despite Duze being a likeable guy, Shepard couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that Duze wasn't telling him.

Taking a quick detour, Shepard went to see the two engineers about the couplings. Both assured him that everything was in tip-top condition and that their workloads were far more manageable now.

Arriving at the crew quarters, Tristan made his way to go visit Miranda. She was at her terminal like always, probably updating the Illusive Man. Their talk was insightful and short, as always. Mostly it was just about how long it would take to thaw his clone and how long it would take for the Silaris armor to be installed.

Finally, Shepard made his way to the helm to speak with one of his best friends.

|_The airlock is ajar_| came the synthesized voice of EDI.

"How are things holding up Joker?" Tristan asked.

"I'm thinking about sabotage but I don't think that's going to work. Oh, you were asking about the status of the _Normandy_, not my level of paranoia," Joker grumbled. "Well, judging from the trajectory of the moon and the sun: about half done with getting people to join your new suicide pact. I like Duze, unlike Garrus and most Turians; he's actually capable of removing the pole up his ass. And Mordin is cool, you know, when he's not asking to put his quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber."

"Glad to see you approve," Tristan deadpanned.

"I trust you, everyone else; not so much. Call me paranoid."

"Last time you said that, we ended up saving the galaxy from a rogue Spectre, an army of Heretic Geth, and a sapient dreadnaught that every fifty-thousand years, exterminates all life in existence," Shepard remarked.

"Your point?" Joker asked smugly, turning his head to give Tristan a cheeky grin.

"My point is that I blame you for causing all of this," he grinned back.

"Good to know that I'm on your will and testament."

"Of course you are. Who else would get my Lord of the Rings box set?"

"Garrus, so that he would finally get the references. By the way, you can have that back when I'm done with Return of the King."

"Nope, he gets my stereo. Thanks, it's still weird to think that I've technically been dead for two years. Not the strangest thing that has happened, Legion and the Geth get the prize for that, but still strange."

The two laughed before Shepard made his way to the galaxy map. He set a course for Minuteman Station and left for his loft to get some sleep.

**000**

When the _Normandy_ arrived at the station, shore leave was issued pending the time to it would take to upgrade the hull of both the SR-2 and M-44. It would take around two weeks at the earliest, with no hiccups in schedule.

Presently, Tristan was standing outside a medical lab, looking through a window as Wilson led various doctors in preparing his clone to take the red pill.

"Have you picked out a name?"

He turned to see Miranda at his right looking at doctors looking over last minute algorithms, to ensure all went well.

"Yeah, Alexis. I remember asking my mother once when I was a kid why she only had one. I knew that she loved kids and wanted a big family, but I didn't understand why she stopped with me. She told me that it was partly because of military life, I was difficult enough as it was, but any more and it would just be too hard on her with my dad on Earth. But the real reason was that during my birth there were complications. Simply put, her body just wasn't built to handle the stresses of childbirth. She told me that she always wanted a daughter and that she liked the name 'Alexis'," Tristan revealed.

"Alexis is a pretty name," she smiled at him sincerely. "I'm sorry about your mother, but it appears she'll get her wish, despite how unorthodox the circumstance. It probably doesn't show, but I don't exactly have a… functional family."

"No need to explain, I understand. Family issues tend to be best left with the family," Tristan offered.

"True, but like with everything, Commander, there are exceptions," she countered.

"Indeed," he merely said as he watched Wilson begin the procedure that would awaken Alexis Shepard.

**000**

**A/N: **Chapter 7 is done; once again I'm sorry for the wait. Please read and review.


	8. Chapter 8

**Cold Lazarus**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Mass Effect

**Warning:** Contains spoilers for Mass Effect 3

**Chapter 8**

**000**

_Black, speckled with tiny white dots. Endless, eternal, constant, silent, and cold. Empty, devoid of life. She found solace in the expanse. It was a void, full of nothing and everything. That was all she knew, all that she experienced in her life before she woke from her frozen slumber. She lay there, staring into the abyss as she tried to make sense of things. What was real? What was tangible? What was hers? What was she? They told her, gave her a name, a purpose if she so wished. _'But why,'_ she so desperately wanted to ask, but couldn't. She knew how to but never had, there was never any need when she dreamt. All she thought she knew was a dream, as corporeal as the abyss she stared into. Nothing made sense, and yet it did. Was she real or was she fake? Did she still dream or was she now awake? She didn't know, the Frozen Sleep felt real, but so did this Awareness._

_The Awareness was as real as the Frozen Sleep. More so, for the Awareness held light, and the Faces. The Faces were something that the Frozen Sleep never possessed. They were different, alien. But so was she. The Faces showed her what she looked like. It was surreal, to see herself, when all she saw was strands of red. The mirage before her was a Face as well. A frame of red thread, two spheres of white frames holding two green disks that held in a black void, a porcelain white canvass, with rosy lips. The Face, her Face, held a portrait of wonder and innocence. The other Faces held no such portrait, their portraits were foreign. Hard, uncaring, probing, always probing. That's what had made the Awareness frightening. It wasn't a world she knew. The Frozen Sleep was exactly as the abyss, an endless void, filled with darkness and cold. There was nothing there. It was lonely, but it was a solitude that she cherished._

_She thought of the Face that she knew as hers but wasn't. That one Face wasn't alien, though she had never seen it before. Its Face had reddish-brown thread, the same two white spheres and black voids, but the green disk was darker than her brilliant light green, its canvass was stained and rugged. Its portrait was kind, accepting, and patient. But it was also haunted, as if plagued by terrors that, like the expanse, were unknowable but absolute._

_It was this Face that gave her a name: Alexis. It told her its name, but she didn't hear it then. She was frightened more so then of the Awareness. Her fear soon lessened, for that one Face, her Brother's Face, helped her. He knew her confusion, He had been there before. He told her of a world the Awareness possessed, 'Akuze'. He didn't know what was Dream or Awareness for a time, but He recovered from it. He said that she would as well, eventually. She thought about His words, about the Dream, for she had visited it many times since entering the Awareness. The Dream, like the Frozen Sleep, was a black void, with no beginning and no end. But the Dream had color and sound, whispers of words, mirages of Faces. Nothing in the Dream was lucid, but neither was it tangible. She didn't like the Dream; it was a farce of what the Frozen Sleep was._

_Her Brother had introduced her to two new Faces. One was like her Brother the other completely alien. The first one's Face had white-silvery thread, olive-green disks, its canvass was also stained, but less so than her Brother's, and aged. Its portrait was motherly, caring, and calm. Its name was Doctor, like many of the other Faces, but this Doctor wasn't probing. She liked this Doctor. The second one's Face was bizarre; it like some of the other Doctors had no thread, there was only one white sphere, but it was different. There wasn't a colored disk or black void. Instead, its sphere glowed, ethereal and dead yet with a visage of life. Its canvass wasn't right, for there were no lips, and no texture. It was smooth, manufactured, and moved in programmed ways that couldn't be natural. Its, Their, name was Legion. Their portrait was collected, ghostly, and strangely innocent like hers. Legion unnerved her greatly at first, like the Awareness. But she quickly grew accustomed to Them. Their voices were hollow, desolate, and echoed, as the thousand Whispers spoke as one. _

_Her Brother, the kind Doctor, and Legion were her only company for the few days she stayed in the dimmed, white room. The Doctor would make sure that she ate and was healthy; Legion simply looked after her, giving her company when her Brother or the Doctor couldn't come. But she truly liked her Brother's visits, they, like Legion, were to give her company. But He told her stories of their Mother and helped explain the knowledge in her head, helped her figure out what was hers and what was not, though that didn't help much. Words were still foreign, and it was hard to comprehend. Eventually, they moved her to a new room. It was dark too, but its darkness was natural. There was hard, cold air that held back water, illuminated by a blue wall. There was another hard, cold air that had silver poles keeping tiny ships from falling. There were chairs scattered around, always next to a table. There was a door that led to a bathroom. But her favorite thing was the bed at the back of the room. It was her favorite because she could look up at the hard, cold air that held back the abyss. She'd lie there, and wonder about the Awareness, like she was now._

**000**

"How is she?" Tristan asked Chakwas as she tended to the wounds his team received after recruiting, freeing, Jack.

"She's fine. Alexis still lies on the bed and stares into space. Probably still trying to make heads or tails of everything. It shouldn't be long for her to start talking, her mind has adjusted to that quite rapidly," she replied as she bandaged his arm.

"I wonder what it's like having an entire language downloaded into your head," Duze muttered as Chakwas began her examination of the Turian.

"Not just that, but also knowledge of what alien species there are, as well as that of your own. That's got to be weird," Jacob sighed as he waited for Chakwas to dismiss him. It was an interesting thought for sure. Shortly before waking Alexis from the stasis pod, the scientists had imprinted on her things that she'd need to know, such as: language, what alien species was what, basic history, just enough to get by.

It had been two and half weeks since the _Normandy_ had its armor upgraded. Shepard had decided to get the biotic Jack, hoping it would be the quickest recruitment before heading to Korlus to recruit Warlord Okeer. Of course, this being a simple pickup mission involving one Commander Shepard, things went south very fast and the mission ended with a lot of gun fire. Naturally, Shepard owed Joker 50 creds.

Shepard, along with Duze and Jacob, had a bad feeling and had decided to prepare for the worse. Finding Jack was easy, first they simply had to follow the trail of dead guards, release Jack from her stasis, and then follow the trail of dead bodies, critically damaged mechs, newly freed convicts, and guards trying in vain to restore order. Unfortunately, a couple of YMIR mechs managed to penetrate their shields, no serious damage had been done but being grazed by twin automatic mass accelerator cannons tended to be painful, regardless. In the end, Shep had managed to recruit Jack. Miranda wasn't too happy that it meant that Jack got free access to Cerberus files, but relented anyways.

The three were soon discharged by Chakwas. Jacob went back to the armory and Duze went to go run some more diagnostics on the Hammerhead. Shepard merely went into the AI Core, where he could enjoy the silence. Legion only spoke when spoken to, unless it was to Daedalus or EDI, in which it just "spoke" to them as only AI could.

|_Shepard-Commander|_ Legion greeted.

"Legion," Shep replied before sitting down on the floor, leaning back against one of the servers in the room. It was beginning to become a habit for him to come to this room. He'd be greeted by Legion and he would greet it back, then he would sit down and lean against a server and just listen to the gentle hum of the servers. There, he would just let his mind wander, about the inevitable suicide mission, which dossier to look into next, or about Alexis.

His thoughts would often shift to her, but other than 'Alexis' he wasn't sure what to call her. His clone? His sister? The latter seemed to be right but it was just weird; a foreign concept that he wasn't sure what to make of. Chakwas said that he was doing things fine and that he needn't worry, but it was hard not to. She was innocent, like a five-year old, despite being physically somewhere around her earlier to mid twenties. She seemed to enjoy star gazing and stories about his, their, mother. She also got along with Chakwas, something both he and the doctor were thankful for. The other doctors had trouble getting her to cooperate, why was anyone's guess, but she was completely accepting of Karen. Surprisingly, Alexis liked Legion. True, she had to warm up to the synthetic but afterwards she was unfazed by its presence.

Both Legion and Daedalus found that intriguing and had questioned him and EDI about it. When neither of them gave any answers to their questions, they had asked Chakwas who gave a couple of theories as to why before telling that it'd probably be easier to simply ask her when she could talk.

Shepard stayed in the Core room for a couple of hours pondering his sister before getting up. He made his way to the elevator and selected Deck 1.

As he entered his cabin, Tristan found the familiar sight of Alexis sprawled out on the bed staring into the blackness of space beyond the skylight.

"Hey Alexis," he called out gently as he made his way to the sofa.

She turned her head, making it upside down as she was away from the door, to look at him as he sat down. She quickly sat up and looked at him, her eyes lingering on the new bandage, before looking him in the eyes as she usually did.

"It was a rough day," he shrugged, a meek smile on his face.

She was quiet, as usual, but had a pensive look on her face. She stood and walked over to him. Bending down, so she was at his eye level she said, "Broth…er?"

**000**

**A/N:** Chapter 8 is complete. Sorry for the wait, please read and review. Stay classy.


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